Touchscreen with extended conductive pattern

• US 8,711,105 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Gray, Patrick T., Yamamoto, Sadao
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): FISCHER, MARK L
• Application Number:
  US12/407,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality

Abstract

Extended touchscreen pattern. A conductive pattern implemented within a touchscreen (e.g., using indium tin oxide (ITO) such as may be deposited on a substrate composed of polyester or some other material) provides paths for signals traveling through the touchscreen. By monitoring these signal in accordance with some means (e.g., cross point detection, zone detection, etc.) an estimate may be made as to a location of user'"'"'s interaction with the touchscreen (e.g., finger or stylus touching of the touchscreen). The conductive pattern includes a number of conductors aligned in various directions (e.g., row and column conductors) across the touchscreen, and they may be co-planar or separated by a dielectric material. A conductor aligned in one direction includes one or more extended areas that complementarily align with a conductor aligned in another direction. The extended areas of one conductor may be viewed as filling voids (e.g., holes, notches, etc.) of another conductor.

Claims

1. A capacitive touch sensor pattern of a touch device, comprising:

a first conductor including a plurality of first areas that are separate from one another and electrically coupled to one another along a first direction, the plurality of first areas forming at least a portion of a first sensing line that includes the plurality of first areas and a plurality of first openings; and

a second conductor including a plurality of second areas that are separate from one another and electrically coupled to one another along a second direction other than the first direction, the plurality of second areas forming at least a portion of a second sensing line that includes the plurality of second areas and a plurality of second openings;

wherein each of the plurality of first areas and each of the plurality of second areas are solid areas of conductive material;

wherein select ones of the first areas are axially aligned within corresponding select ones of the second openings;

wherein select ones of the second areas are axially aligned within corresponding select ones of the first openings;

wherein the first sensing line further includes an additional opening; and

wherein the second sensing line includes an extended area coupled to the plurality of second areas and complementarily aligned within the additional opening.

2. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 1, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are separated by a dielectric material.

3. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 1, wherein:

the first conductor is implemented on a back of a surface of the touch device;

or

the first conductor is implemented on the surface of the touch device.

4. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 1, wherein:

a shape of each of the first areas and the second areas is one of a circle, a diamond, a triangle, an ellipse, a rectangle, or a square.

5. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 1, wherein:

the second sensing line further includes a plurality of second additional openings and a plurality of second extended areas coupled to the plurality of second areas;

the first sensing line further includes a plurality of first additional openings and a plurality of first extended areas coupled to the plurality of first areas;

select ones of the first additional areas are axially aligned with corresponding select ones of the second additional openings; and

select ones of the second additional areas are axially aligned with corresponding select ones of the first additional openings.

6. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the first areas overlap corresponding ones of the second areas and at least a portion of the first extended areas overlap corresponding ones of the second extended areas.

7. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 5, wherein:

each of the first additional openings is a first hole within one of the first extended areas;

each of the second additional openings is a second hole within one of the second extended areas;

each of the select ones of the first extended areas has a size and shape substantially the same as the second hole; and

each of the select ones of the second extended areas has a size and shape substantially the same as the first hole.

8. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 5, wherein:

each of the first additional openings is a first notch within one of the first extended areas;

each of the second additional openings is a second notch within one of the second extended areas;

each of the select ones of the first extended areas at least partially resides within the corresponding second notch; and

each of the select ones of the second extended areas at least partially resides within the corresponding first notch.

9. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 1, wherein:

the first conductor is one of a plurality of primary conductors aligned in the first direction and the second conductor is one of a plurality of secondary conductors aligned in the second direction;

each of the plurality of primary conductors includes a respective plurality of primary areas;

each of the plurality of secondary conductors includes a respective plurality of secondary areas;

each of the plurality of secondary conductors includes respective extended areas; and

the respective extended areas between adjacent secondary conductors of the plurality of secondary conductors are interleaved.

10. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 9, wherein:

each of the plurality of primary conductors includes respective extended first areas; and

the respective extended first areas between adjacent primary conductors of the plurality of primary conductors are interleaved.

11. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 1, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are implemented on a common plane.

12. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of first areas are connected via traces; and

the plurality of second areas are connected via bond wires.

13. The capacitive touch sensor pattern of claim 11, wherein:

the first conductor and the second conductor are implemented on a back of a surface of the touch device;

or

the first conductor and the second conductor are implemented on the surface of the touch device.

14. A touch device, comprising:

a capacitive touch sensor pattern including;

a first conductor including a plurality of first areas that are separate from one another and electrically coupled to one another along a first direction, the plurality of first areas forming at least a portion of a first sensing line that includes the plurality of first areas and a plurality of first openings;

a second conductor including a plurality of second areas that are separate from one another and electrically coupled to one another along a second direction other than the first direction, the plurality of second areas forming at least a portion of a second sensing line that includes the plurality of second areas and a plurality of second openings;

wherein each of the plurality of first areas and each of the plurality of second areas are solid areas of conductive material;

wherein select ones of the first areas being axially aligned within corresponding select ones of the second openings;

wherein select ones of the second areas being axially aligned within corresponding select ones of the first openings;

wherein the first sensing line further includes an additional opening; and

wherein the second sensing line further includes an extended area coupled to the plurality of second areas and complementarily aligned within the additional opening; and

a circuitry that provides an energizing signal to the first conductor and detects a change in the energizing signal caused by a user'"'"'s interaction with the touch device.

15. The touch device of claim 14, wherein the circuitry comprises:

an energizing circuitry that provides a signal to the first conductor; and

a detection circuitry that;

detects a signal received from the second conductor; and

based on the received signal, identifies a location of a user'"'"'s interaction with the touch device corresponding to an intersection of the first conductor and the second conductor.

16. The touch device of claim 14, wherein:

the user'"'"'s interaction with the touch device is a finger of the user touching the touch device or a user stylus touching the touch device.

17. The touch device of claim 14, wherein the capacitive touch sensor pattern further includes a third conductor aligned in the first direction;

and further comprising;

a circuitry that provides an energizing signal to the first conductor and detects a signal response in the third conductor caused by the user'"'"'s interaction with the touch device.

18. The touch device of claim 14, further comprising:

an input/output (I/O) connector coupled to the second conductor.

19. The touch device of claim 18, wherein the I/O connector is coupled to one of the plurality of second areas.

20. The touch device of claim 14, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are separated by a dielectric material.

21. The touch device of claim 14, wherein:

the first conductor is implemented on a back of a surface of the touch device;

or

the first conductor is implemented on the surface of the touch device.

22. The touch device of claim 14, wherein:

a shape of each of the first areas and the second areas is one of a circle, a diamond, a triangle, an ellipse, a rectangle, or a square.

23. The touch device of claim 14, wherein:

the second sensing line further includes a plurality of second additional openings and a plurality of second extended areas coupled to the plurality of second areas;

the first sensing line further includes a plurality of first additional openings and a plurality of first extended areas coupled to the plurality of first areas;

select ones of the first extended areas are axially aligned with corresponding select ones of the second additional openings; and

select ones of the second extended areas are axially aligned with corresponding select ones of the first additional openings.

24. The touch device of claim 23, wherein at least a portion of the first areas overlap corresponding ones of the second areas and at least a portion of the first extended areas overlap corresponding ones of the second extended areas.

25. The touch device of claim 23, wherein:

each of the first additional openings is a first hole within one of the first extended areas;

each of the second additional openings is a second hole within one of the second extended areas;

each of the select ones of the first extended areas has a size and shape substantially the same as the second hole; and

each of the select ones of the second extended areas has a size and shape substantially the same as the first hole.

26. The touch device of claim 23, wherein:

each of the first additional openings is a first notch within one of the first extended areas;

each of the second additional openings is a second notch within one of the second extended areas;

each of the select ones of the first extended areas at least partially resides within the corresponding second notch; and

each of the select ones of the second extended areas at least partially resides within the corresponding first notch.

27. The touch device of claim 14, wherein:

the first conductor is one of a plurality of primary conductors aligned in the first direction and the second conductor is one a plurality of secondary conductors aligned in the second direction;

each of the plurality of primary conductors includes a respective plurality of primary areas;

each of the plurality of secondary conductors includes a respective plurality of secondary areas;

each of the plurality of secondary conductors includes respective extended areas; and

the respective extended areas between adjacent secondary conductors of the plurality of secondary conductors are interleaved.

28. The touch device of claim 27, wherein:

each of the plurality of primary conductors includes respective extended first areas; and

the respective extended first areas between adjacent primary conductors of the plurality of primary conductors are interleaved.

29. The touch device of claim 14, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are implemented on a common plane.

30. The touch device of claim 29, wherein:

the plurality of first areas are connected via traces; and

the plurality of second areas are connected via bond wires.

31. A capacitive touch sensor pattern, comprising:

a plurality of parallel first conductors, each including a plurality of first areas that are electrically coupled to one another along a first direction and separate from one another, at least one of the plurality of first areas within at least one of the plurality of first conductors being a shaped area having a different shape from a shape of the other first areas of the at least one of the plurality of first conductors by having an opening within the shaped area;

a plurality of parallel second conductors, each including a plurality of second areas that are electrically coupled to one another along a second direction other than the first direction and separate from one another, at least one of the plurality of second conductors including a complementary extended area coupled to the plurality of second areas of the at least one of the plurality of second conductors and complementarily aligned with the opening of the shaped area;

a plurality of first extended areas extending from each of the plurality of parallel first conductors in the second direction such that the plurality of first extended areas are interlaced with first conductors of the plurality of first conductors; and

a plurality of second extended areas extending from each of the plurality of parallel second conductors in the first direction such that the plurality of second extended areas are interlaced with second conductors of the plurality of second conductors.